


The Best of Both Worlds

by EiriniThalassa



Category: Grey's Anatomy, Station 19 (TV)
Genre: Career Change, F/F, Fluff, My take, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, hopefully it makes some sense
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-18
Updated: 2020-11-18
Packaged: 2021-03-09 18:01:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,975
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27620378
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EiriniThalassa/pseuds/EiriniThalassa
Summary: Just my take (of sorts) on Carina transferring to the Station.
Relationships: Maya Bishop/Carina DeLuca
Comments: 6
Kudos: 342





	The Best of Both Worlds

**Author's Note:**

> I’m currently writing another fic, but I just can’t help but wonder how they will incorporate Carina into the Team - hence this unplanned fic. :)
> 
> I’m asking for a bit of indulgence here because I know there are a few long shots in this one, and a bit of cannon divergence – namely no COVID pandemic - but I still think it’s pretty cute, and at least somewhat, plausible. 
> 
> Also, I really hope we get to see more of them together tomorrow! *fingers crossed*
> 
> I don’t own the characters.

Carina was in a foul mood, which stemmed from two reasons – the rain and the fact that she missed her girlfriend. As for the rain, generally speaking, she did not mind it. In fact, under the right circumstances, she even found it romantic. Unfortunately, the amount they were currently getting was excessive, as it had been raining for four days straight with no signs of relenting. And, aside from making everyone else pretty irritable as well, this much rain also meant the increased number of interventions for the PRT that she was now working on. In fact, they had just returned from another intervention a few minutes earlier, and as she stood in the locker room - trying to dry her wet hair with a towel – the brunette hoped it would be their last one of the day because she was nearing the end of her shift. However, she knew better than to voice her wishes, because that **“could jinx the whole thing”** as she had been told her first day on the new job. And, even though she was not a superstitious person by nature, she had taken this instruction to heart. So, she silently hoped for an uneventful next few minutes so that she could dry her hair with an actual dryer, go home, and rest for a few hours.

At that moment, Andy entered the locker room. “Hey, Carina…” she said. “Vic and I are going for a drink after the shift and we were wondering if you’d like the join us.”

The Italian smiled. Ever since she had started working on the PRT with Warren a few weeks earlier, everyone at the Station had been nothing but kind and welcoming to her, showing her the ropes and trying to make her settle in as effortlessly as possible. Carina knew their efforts were genuine and she was grateful to each and every one of them for it. However, there was this little nagging voice in her head that would make itself known in moments like these that made her wonder if, maybe, it had all been just because she was the Captain’s girlfriend. It irked her to no end think that, but at times, she simply couldn’t help it.

“You know this has nothing to do with Maya, right?” Andy suddenly offered with a smile, as if reading her mind. The look of surprise Carina gave her was impossible to miss and the Lieutenant chuckled inwardly as she continued: “You’re one of us now. And that includes the whole package – the good and the bad of it. And one of the good things of it is going for drinks after a grueling shift.”

“Thank you, Andy, I really appreciate your saying that.” Carina returned earnestly.

“Don’t mention it. So, what do you say?”

“Would you mind if I took a rain-check? Pun intended.” she chuckled. “It’s just that I’m really tired.” 

Although Carina was no stranger to long hours and grueling shifts, working on the PRT had required an extra effort because it was a whole new experience for her and she was still leaning things.

Andy nodded in understanding. “Sure. No problem.”

“But, you are all still coming to my place for pizzas next Saturday, right?” the Italian now asked.

They had tentatively made plans for a “Team-Pizza-Party” at Carina’s the upcoming Saturday.

“Are you still making them from scratch?” Andy returned with a telling grin.

“Of course!” the brunette replied with a smile.

“In that case – you bet!” Andy said with a wink before she turned around and walked out.

Once she was by herself in the locker room again, Carina reached for her phone – 8 minutes until the end of her shift, and no new messages from Maya. She sighed. She could not wait for Maya to return home the following afternoon from her four-day conference in Spokane. And, she couldn’t wait because, even though she was tired and she needed the rest, she really was not looking forward to another night of sleeping alone. Especially, since the night before she had barely managed to sleep at all.

Since she had transferred to Station 19, she and Maya had been spending more time together, both in and out of work, and they both loved it. And any apprehension the brunette may have had about her career change affecting their relationship in a bad way, had quickly been put to rest as the two settled in and accepted their new routine without any major snags.

Carina considered this career shift an incredible stroke of luck and she was immensely grateful for it.

A few weeks earlier, she had decided to put her attending position at GreySloan on hold, in a matter of speaking, and transfer to Station 19 to work on the PRT with Warren. Because as much as she loved what she was doing at GreySloan, and as strange as it may seem - because her line of work had always been full of challenges and excitement, and no two days had ever been the same - she felt she had become too complacent and she did not like that. She wanted to challenge herself further. She wanted to leave her comfort zone. And, after one chance conversation with Warren one day at the hospital, in which he said he would not mind having an extra pair of hands on the PRT fulltime; an idea came to Carina almost immediately – what if **she** were that extra pair of hands - at least temporary - to see if it felt right. Two days after her talk with Warren, she presented the idea to Maya over dinner.

A smile spread across the Italian’s face as her mind went back to that conversation.

“There’s something that I would like to ask you.” Carina started, looking at Maya.

“Ask away, babe!” Maya said, picking up a slice of her pizza.

“How would you feel if I got a different job?’” the Italian uttered.

Instantly, the blonde’s eyebrows shot up and she stopped mid-chew. “What do you mean? You wanna quit GraySloan?” she asked, suddenly alarmed; fear that Carina was thinking about leaving Seattle seeping through.

“Well, that depends.” the brunette returned. “I’m hoping I won’t have to, but we’ll see.”

Maya shook her head. Alarm was now mixed with confusion. “I don’t understand...” 

“Well, I was hoping to try something new, but not actually quit GreySloan, if possible. At least not just yet.” the Italian explained

“Try something new? Like what?” Maya asked, her alarm decreasing slightly.

Carina took a quick breath. “Well, I was talking with Warren the other day and he mentioned that it would be nice if he had someone else on the PRT with him fulltime, so I was thinking - why not me?” she said somewhat cautiously, watching intently for her girlfriend’s reaction.

“You wanna work on the PRT with Warren?!” Maya uttered somewhere between surprise and shock – she had no idea Carina was thinking about changing careers, let alone that she was interested in working on the PRT.

“Well, yes.” the Italian returned. “I mean, I would at least like to try.”

“Why?” the blonde blurted out on instinct. “I mean, you’ve never mentioned anything about it before.”

“Well, no, because I didn’t think it was a possibility. But, now that Warren has mentioned it…”

“But, why do you want to leave your current job? You’re an Attending, and I thought you liked what you do.” Maya mused, still trying to make sense of it all.

“I do like it. I love it! But, I also want to try something new… something different… Something that takes me outside of my comfort zone and creates a whole new type of challenges for me.” Carina explained.

“And, you’ve just realized this?” Maya asked.

“No, I’ve been thinking about a change for some time, but nothing concrete or interesting enough has presented itself, until now.”

“But, why didn’t you mention anything, at least?”

“I told you, because I had nothing concrete to mention. Now, I do.”

Maya nodded in a somewhat reluctant acceptance. “Have you said anything to Warren?” she went on to ask.

The Italian shook her head. “Of course not. I wanted to talk with you about it first.”

Despite her still confused and slightly unnerved state, the blonde melted; her expression softening instantly. She gave Carina a small smile. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” the brunette returned. “So, what do you think?” she asked expectantly.

However, Maya remained silent. She did not know what to say - or actually she did - but she did not want to say it because she was afraid that Carina would misconstrue it. Unfortunately, as she was trying to prevent that from happening - that was exactly what happened.

“Non ci posso credere! I don’t believe it! You don’t think I could do it! You don’t think I could work on the PRT!” Carina exclaimed as she abruptly stood up.

“No, Carina, that’s not it! That’s not it at all!” Maya countered, quickly following suit. “Of course I think you could do it! And not only that - I think you’d be absolutely amazing at it. Just like you are amazing at everything else that you do!”

Carina could see that Maya was telling the truth. It calmed her down. “Well, what is it then?” she asked, confusion now replacing anger.

Maya took a deep breath. Her jaw clenched. “Working on the PRT can be risky, Carina. And, sometimes, downright dangerous.”

“So? You do dangerous things every day. You run into burning buildings for a living!” the brunette noted matter-of-factly.

“Exactly.” Maya sighed. “Look, Car… I know this is going to sound selfish, but I’m used to facing danger for a living. What I’m not used to is **you** doing it. And, I’m especially not used being the one who sends you straight into it. You know… There is a reason why they don’t allow doctors to operate on family members and/or partners.” the blonde pointed out meaningfully.

Maya’s words made Carina’s heart miss a beat, but at the same time, they made her feel embarrassed for her earlier reaction – because Maya had a point; and also, although she assumed this job may be more risky than her current one, she had never really stopped to think what it would mean for Maya. “I’m sorry, bella!” she offered sincerely. “I haven’t really thought of it that way. I guess, I’ve just been too excited about the possibility of trying something new.” she said as she stepped closer to her girlfriend, and laced their fingers together.

“It’s OK, babe, you know I love your enthusiasm.” Maya returned with a soft smile. “It’s just that you’ve caught me by surprise. That’s all.”

“I understand.” Carina nodded. “I’ll give you some time to think about it, if you want; and then we can talk about it, again. And after that, if you still don’t want me to do it…”

“I didn’t say I didn’t want you to do it, Carina.” Maya interjected promptly. “I’m just terrified about the possibility of something bad happening to you on my watch!” she said, her voice cracking a little at the end.

The look on her face and the tone of her voice made Carina melt on the spot. “Don’t be, bella!” she uttered adoringly. “Look, I know that this job is potentially risky and even dangerous, but I also know that nowhere else would I be safer than under your watch!” She smiled softly. “Besides, I can also take care of myself pretty well, you know… And, there would also be Warren with me, and I imagine, often others as well.”

Maya inhaled deeply. She knew she had no right to stop Carina from doing what she wanted - in spite of her own fears. Also, Carina was right – if she was going to do it, Maya would much rather it be under her command than someone else’s. “You really want to do this, don’t you?” she asked.

Carina nodded. “I do.”

“And, have you thought about a possible conflict of interest?” the blonde went on to ask.

“Yes, and I’m sure we could find a way around it.” the Italian replied. “I mean, I don’t know, maybe I could work on the PRT as an assistant or something while still being on Staff at GraySloan; in which case there would be no conflict of interest to speak of, since technically, I wouldn’t be working for the Station. And if that’s not possible, we’ll find some other way. I’m sure.”

Maya smiled broadly now. “Have I mentioned that I also love your optimism?”

Carina gave her a quick peck on the lips. “Once or twice.” she said.

Maya nodded. “Fine. I’ll look into what needs to be done to make this happen, and you talk to Dr. Bailey.”

Carina let out a squeal of joy that made Maya’s heart soar. “Thank you, so much, amore! I love you!” she said as she hugged and kissed the blonde.

As their eyes locked again, Maya showed off her dimples. “I love you too, but I’m not sure if I would thank me just yet.” she remarked meaningfully. “Because, you do realize that, if all this works out like this… Then, though technically you may not be working for the Station; in practical terms, you **will** still be working under me on a daily basis?”

As Carina repeated that last remark from Maya in her mind, she grinned from ear to ear, just as she had when she had first heard it. She shook her head in amusement and rechecked the time – 5:00 PM, which meant that her shift was now officially over!

And, as if on cue, Andy and Vic came walking into the locker room. “Andy tells me you won’t be coming to drinks with us.” Vic said.

“No, not this time. I really appreciate the invite, but I’m really tired.” Carina returned.

“Yeah, I get it. This rain is giving us all a run for our money. And, I bet it’s even harder on you.” Vic noted. “But, we’re still on for pizza night at your place on Saturday, right?”

Carina smiled warmly. “Definitely!”

Some forty minutes later, Carina opened her front door, expecting to find only the light of the lamp she had left on in the hallway. However, instead, she was met by a much brighter light coming from her living room. Instantly, she beamed.

“Maya?!” she gasped as she swiftly put down her umbrella, took off her jacket and her shoes, and hurried into the living room. There, sitting on the couch, with a wide smile on her face, was her girlfriend.

“Hi!” Maya greeted cheerfully as she stood up.

“What are you doing here?! When did you get back?! I thought you weren’t supposed to come back until tomorrow afternoon.” Carina uttered practically in one breath as she walked over to her girlfriend.

Maya was about to respond, but her intentions were thwarted by a passionate kiss – not that she was complaining!

“What are you doing here?! I thought the conference lasted until tomorrow.” Carina whispered breathlessly as the kiss ended and their eyes met again.

“It does. But, I’ve cut the stay short and come back earlier.” Maya returned, equally out of breath.

“Not that I’m complaining, but how did you manage to get out of the conference early?” the Italian asked.

“Well, the most important parts of it are already over anyway, and I’ve told them that my House is short-staffed, so…” the blonde explained.

“Well, I can’t tell you how happy I am to see you!” Carina said as she kissed her again.

“Not nearly as much as I’m happy to see you, believe me!” Maya returned with her trademark dimpled smile. “You look exhausted.” she then noted worriedly; her expression changing. “Much more than you looked yesterday during our FaceTime.”

“I didn’t sleep well last night.” the brunette admitted. “I’ve missed too much!”

The dimples appeared again. “I’ve missed you too, babe! That big hotel bed felt so empty without you next to me. But, we’ll remedy that tonight!” Maya said. “Now, when was the last time you ate? I’m assuming not since breakfast, seeing as the rain still hasn’t let up.” she noted knowingly.

“Yes, things have been really hectic.” Carina assented.

“Well, in that case, you go and have a nice warm shower, and I’ll set the table and dinner I bought on my way over.” the blonde suggested.

The Italian smiled widely. “You’re amazing, bella!”

Maya returned the smile instinctively. “So, does that mean that you are planning on continuing with this gig as GreySloan’s **“temporary assistant medic”** on the PRT - which by the way - I still can’t believe is now actually a thing!”

“Provided the Station, and especially its Captain, is happy with my services – definitely!” Carina said.

“Oh, the Captain is more than happy with your services.” Maya returned with a telling smirk, pulling Carina even closer.

“So, does this mean that you have no regrets about my transfer to the Station?” the brunette asked, somewhat cautiously.

Maya swallowed hard, her expression changing on a dime. She leaned in and kissed Carina sweetly. “Of course not!” she uttered adoringly. “How could I, when I have the best of both worlds – an incredibly capable doctor on my team and an amazing girlfriend by my side!?”

The Italian beamed. “Ti amo tantissimo!” she uttered emotionally as she kissed Maya again.

“I love you very much too, babe!” the blonde returned, smiling widely as well. “Now, go have that shower and I’ll go set up dinner.”

Carina gave her another quick peck on the lips and turned to leave.

As she watched her girlfriend walk out of the living room, Maya couldn’t help but think that she, indeed, had the best of both worlds - and then some!

**Author's Note:**

> So, any thoughts?
> 
> Thanks for reading. Take care! :)


End file.
